"of blood; a way of speaking not unknown to the Jews; for, the Jesuralem Talmud, describing the "woeful slaughter which the Roman Emperor Adrian "made of the Jews at the destruction of the city of Bitter, saith, that the horses waded in blood up to the "nostrils. Nor are similar examples wanting even in "the classic authors; for, Silius Italicus, speaking of "Annibal's descent into Italy, useth the like expression; the bridles flowing with much blood*."

* Bp. Newton, Dissert. iii. p. 267. Svo edit.

PART

THE

APOCALYPSE, &c.

PART VI.

SECTION I.

The Vision preparatory to the seven Vials.

1 ΚΑΙ είδον άλλο
σημεῖον ἐν τῷ ἐρανῷν
μέγα και θαυμασύν,
ἀγέλες ἑπτὰ, ἔχον-
τας πληγὰς ἑπτὰ
τὰς ἐσχάτας, ὅτι
ἐν αὐταῖς ἐτελέσθη
Junos To Dr.
2 Καὶ εἶδον ὡς θά
λασσαν ὑαλίνην μετ
μιμένην τουρί· καὶ τὰς
νικῶνας ἐκ τα θηρία
καὶ ἐκ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτ
τῶ, καὶ ἐκ τῇ ἀριθμό
τῷ ὀνόματος αὐτῷ,
ἐςῶτας ἐπὶ τὴν θά
λασσαν τὴν ἑκλίνην,
ἔχοντας κιθάρας το
3 Θεῖ. Καὶ ἄδεσι τὴν
ᾠδὴν Μωσέως δέλες
τῇ Θεῶ, καὶ τὴν ᾠδὴν
τὸ ἀρνία, λέγονίες
Μεγάλα καὶ θαν

μαςὰ τὰ ἔργα σε,
Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παν
τοκράτωρ δίκαιαι
καὶ ἀληθιναὶ αἱ ὀδοί

CHAPTER XV. & CHAP. xvi. VER. 1.

1 And I saw another
sign in Heaven, great
and wonderful: seven
angels having the seven
last plagues: for in
them was completed
the wrath of God.
2 And I saw, as it were,
a sea, glassy, mingled
with fire, and those
who had gotten the
victory over the beast,

and over his image,
and over the number
of his name, standing
upon the glassy sea,
having harps of God.

3 And they sing the

song of Moses, the
servant of God, and
the song of the Lamb;

saying, "Great and
"wonderful are thy
"works, O Lord, the

4

un pobnoṛ [σε],
Κύριε, και δοξάση
τὸ ὄνομά σε;

"Who shall not fear,
"[thee] O Lord, and
"glorify thy name, for
"thou alone art holy!

1 And I saw another sign
in heaven great and
marvellous, seven an-
gels having the seven.
last plagues, for in
them is filled up the
2 wrath of God. And I
saw as it were a sea of
glass, mingled with
fire; and them that
had gotten the victory
over the beast, and
over his image, and
over his mark, and over
the number of his
name, stand on the sea
of glass, having the
3 harps of God. And

they sing the song of
Moses the servant of
God, and the of
song
the Lamb, saying,
Great and marvellous
are thy works, Lord
God Almighty; just
and true are thy ways,
thou King of saints.

4 Who shall not fear
thee, O Lord, and glo-
rify thy name? for
thou only art holy: for

seven angels, who had
the
seven plagues,
came out [of the tem-
ple] clothed in pure,
resplendent linen, and
girt about their breasts

with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four living-creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden Vials, full of the wrath of

God, who liveth for
And

8 ever and ever.

the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no one was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels should be 1 completed. And I

heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go, and pour out "the seven vials of the wrath of God upon

"the earth."

Ver. 1. Another sign in heaven-seven angels; &c.] The scene of the vision continues the same, heaven and earth in view, and the angels, who are the actors, passing between both. The present exhibition is preparatory. Such a general representation had preceded the seven Seals, and the seven Trumpets; this precedes the seven Vials. We are now in the midst of the warfare carried on by the Church of Christ, under his auspices, to resist the formidable efforts of the combined enemies. It is a silent warfare, operating chiefly in the human heart. But heaven is now seen interposing visibly to repress the pride and arrogance of the antichristian usurpers. And as seven angels, by sounding the alarm, had foreshewn the several shocks of battle, which the Church should sustain from her enemies: so seven angels, by pouring forth seven Vials, express the vengeance of the Almighty, poured out on the triumphant worldly powers, checking their career, imbittering their success, and finally overwhelming them in destruction.

They are to be accounted, as the word whyrn expresses, so many blows or strokes; visitations of Divine Providence on unrepentant sinners. Such fell on Pharaoh and the hardened Ægyptians, who, persisting in their obstinate opposition, were overwhelmed in the Red Sea. The number seven implies a complete visitation*. "When I begin, I will also make an end, saith "the Lord t." So, with the last of these Vials, “the "wrath of God will be completed." And it is in allusion to this completion, that they are called "the "last plagues;" for they do not seem to extend to the very last times of final judgment, but to end with the beast and false prophet finally and completely subdued; with whose action therefore they seem cotemporary.

Ver. 2. A sea, glassy, mingled with fire; &c.] This glassy sea has been already displayed as standing before the throne of God*, where it was seen to represent the purifying blood of the Redeemer; the price of human redemption, in which alone the vestments can be washed white; by which alone the Christian can be presented pure before God. But the Redeemer has two characters, conformably to the offices assigned him on earth; the one of meekness, in which he came to suffer; the other of exaltation, in which he returns to reign, and to pour out vengeance on his enemies. We are now arrived at that point of the prophetic history, in which this vengeance begins to be poured out. We therefore see the glassy sea mingled with fire; its waves flashing flame; symbolically expressive of anger and vengeance †. Here we see collected, as in an appropriate situation, those who, during the usurpation of Antichrist, had contended for the faith; and suffering, had gained that victory, which is only to be acquired

by the blood of the Lambt." The purification of the priests for the service of the earthly temple was in the brazen sea; these, who are to minister before the God of heaven, are purified by the heavenly sea; by the blood of the Redeemer. And many of them, having poured out their own blood in his cause, and after his example, now begin to enjoy the triumph which was promised them under the fifth Seal §. They are now to be" avenged."

Ib. Of the beast.] in T8 Inpis, not," says Dr. S. Clarke, over the beast, but from out of the midst of the beast for, by this expression is implied, not only their conquest, but the difficulty of it, by a few persons, ad